Many mothers fear they are not producing enough breast milk to satisfy their baby. In most cases, the fear is based on false alarms, such as shorter nursing times or natural appetite growth. These are natural scenarios many mothers experience when breastfeeding. If your baby, however, is not gaining weight, or worse, if he's losing weight, then increasing breast milk production can help.

Steps

Method1

Increasing Production Pre-Breastfeeding

1

Consume a minimum of 1,800 calories a day and drink at least 6 glasses of fluids while you are lactating. If you're currently dieting, it could be decreasing your milk production. Unsurprisingly, what you eat has a big impact on the quality and quantity of the milk produced. Here are some general guidelines for you to remember about diet and breast milk:

Eat fruits and vegetables. Make fruits and vegetables a big part of your diet, as they are packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

Opt for complex carbohydrates. Complex carbs are healthier than processed carbs, which you may by and large avoid. Complex carbs include such things as brown rice, whole-grain pasta and bread, as well as beans.

Consult your doctor about using prescription or herbal supplements to increase breast milk. Herbs that work well include fenugreek, blessed thistle and red raspberry. The prescription drug metoclopramide is sometimes used as a last resort by doctors to treat low milk production in nursing mothers.

3

Supplement feedings with pumping. Pumping is beneficial for two reasons. First, pumping allows you to store breast milk when your baby doesn't need it, allowing you amass and store more expressed milk. Second, pumping stimulates the production of more breast milk.[1]

Invest in a high-quality pump. Pumping isn't exactly the spice of life, so it pays to invest in one that works well. You can rent a hospital-grade pump if you don't own a high-quality, double pump.

Whether you are at work or at home, consider pumping for 15 minutes every couple of hours. Either that, or pump for 5 to 10 minutes after nursing. Pumping at least 8 times during a 24-hour period will help to quickly increase breast milk production. If you can't pump immediately after nursing, try to pump halfway in between feedings.

Pump both breasts at the same time. Pumping both breasts will give you twice as much breast milk twice as fast in addition to helping stimulate more production.

4

Limit the use of pacifiers and bottles while you're trying to make more breast milk. This makes sure all your baby's sucking needs are met at the breast. As the baby gets older, it will be easier for him to go back and forth from breast to pacifier without you losing important breast stimulation. If you are using bottles for supplementing, try to replace those with a syringe or spoon.

Method2

Increasing Production During Breastfeeding

1

Relax. Loads of stress can hurt your ability to produce milk.[1] Try to relax before pumping or breastfeeding by playing soothing music, looking at pictures that produce happiness, or just having a moment with the love of your life.

If you want to, try putting warm compresses on your breasts or massaging them for a short period right before you intend to pump or breastfeed.

2

Allow your baby to nurse frequently for as long as he wants. The more often your breasts are stimulated, the more milk your body makes. At least 8 feedings in a 24-hour period is ideal, more if possible. If you normally feed on a set schedule, allow the baby to feed on demand to increase your breast milk production.

3

Practice undressing your baby to stimulate skin-to-skin contact during breast feeding.[2] Undressing your baby while he breast feeds may help him feed longer. (Longer sessions mean more production of breast milk.)

Undress your baby down to his diaper, but drape a blanket over his back to ensure that he doesn't get cold.

Take off your bra and wear a shirt that can be unbuttoned on the front to promote skin-to-skin contact.

4

Try sling feeding. Wearing a sling and keeping your baby close to the ultimate food supply should encourage him to feast more frequently. Some babies tend to feed more when on the move.

5

Offer your baby both breasts at every feeding to let your body know to make more breast milk. Switch breasts as soon as your baby slows down. It's best if you can switch again and offer each breast twice during a single feeding session. Let your baby nurse for as long as possible-until he falls asleep or detaches.

6

Try taking a nursing "vacation."For a day or two, take your baby to bed with you and do nothing but nurse when the urge hits your baby. Of course, you get to go to the kitchen and the bathroom and hit other motherly duties, but this vacation is all about you and your newborn.

During this vacation, take advantage of nap nursing, which is exactly what it sounds: sleeping with your baby ever-close to his favorite food. This relaxes both mother and child. It also increases the stimulation of milk-producing hormones.

My baby is almost four months old and is always crying. How do I increase and thicken my breast milk?

wikiHow Contributor

Your baby's issues may not be related to a need for more food. Try holding him upright, letting him push with his feet, and lightly massaging his belly in a circular motion. His issues may be related to gas or stomach pain, and these methods could help.

How do I increase my breast milk production and prevent it from drying up?

wikiHow Contributor

You can try herbs such as fenugreek. You can also use a pump every 2 - 4 hours, especially through the night. You're simulating a growth spurt, so your body will react by producing more milk. Remember that to get milk out, you have to put water in, so drink up, about 3 liters per day.

Every single pediatrician will tell you breast is best, and your baby will be hungry very often (like my own) and I suggest feeding her when she starts to show signs of hunger. If your child is rooting, swaying side to side with her head with her mouth open, that usually means "feed me now, please!" If your child is not gaining weight from on demand feeding I would suggest contacting the LLL, La Leche League, which could help to see if the child is latching correctly and can help make decisions about breastfeeding and the best solution for your child.

Have your pediatrician check if your baby is allergic to breast milk (it's rare but possible). If that's clear, ask the doctor whether it's a good idea to wait until the baby cries to feed (if your baby is underweight, this probably wouldn't be recommended).

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A

Anonymous

Oct 15

"I'm a stay-at-home mom. In my case I was able to nurture him, but when it came to pumping it was very hard. I noticed it was me not taking in enough water and not relaxing, so since I've learn to just relax and it's increasing."..." more

A

Anonymous

Oct 5, 2016

"Drinking water and relaxing helped. I've been having enough milk until my baby was 15 weeks. Due to the 3 months lack of sleep and not drinking enough water my supply decreased. Now I'm back on my feet. Thank you."..." more

LE

Lucinda Estrada

Jul 12, 2016

"Thank you so much. This helped out big time. The two things that stood out to me were how and what to eat and to pump so many times a day. Thank you for answering my questions."..." more

SH

Samantha Hernandez

Jan 19

"Information on heat producing more milk and relaxing helped while trying to produce milk faster. Just a lot of good tips that help 1st time breastfeeding mothers!"..." more